Grab your partner or friends and head to Goyang, Paju, and try this Saturday itinerary. Here was our itinerary. You don’t want to miss out on a day eating out and exploring this area
Do you want to spend an easy day just relaxing?
Goyang has a plethora of delightful options for just chilling out and having an unbelievably pleasant day with the people you want to talk to.
About Goyang in Paju, South Korea
Goyang is located west of Seoul just below Paju, the city quietly hosts a wide variety of activities that aren’t heavily promoted in English to the foreign resident community. For the foreign population, Goyang might feel like an invisible spot on the map. Quite frankly, for the last 10 years, I hadn’t found a reason to go. I just drove past on the way to Paju. However, recently, I found an affordable Afternoon Tea cafe on Instagram and became obsessed with visiting.
Our perfect day in Goyang:
Follow along with how we spent our relaxing day. This Goyang, Paju Saturday itinerary felt like a relaxing little dream.
Comma9 Brunch Cafe
031-901-1315
Copy and paste phone numbers into Naver Maps to get directions
Hangul Address
경기 고양시 일산동구 숲속마을2로 59
A surprisingly delicious brunch with plenty of full and delicious, healthy options. The menu has many unique and tasty choices. The menu is in English and they have photos.
Comma9 Brunch Cafe: We always start a day of adventure off with a hearty meal. The Keto Bowl and Avocado Toast from Comma9 were an incredible surprise. I’m always looking for a non-carb brunch that fills me up and this cafe delivered. We may drive here just to each brunch here again. It was that enjoyable. They have parking out front and street parking. Come early to avoid the crowds.
Cheongbal Mountain Hike
Hangul Address
경기도 고양시 일산동구 일산로 355
A small walking and exercise park in the middle of town. Perfect spot to enjoy a relaxing time with friends.
Cheongbal Mountain Hike: As most have learned by now, in Korea there is no difference between a mountain and a hill. Don’t be scared by seeing “mountain” in the name. This little hill/mountain hike was delightful with plenty of areas to rest, play, and run amuck. Perfect for families and friends who want to enjoy some nature and time together without putting in much effort.
Sensibloom
0507-1377-9080
Copy and paste phone numbers into Naver Maps to get directions
Hangul Address
경기 고양시 일산동구 일산로316번길 35-2
Affordable and delicious afternoon tea. Reservations are required. You can make reservations on Naver or over the phone. Reservations are pre-paid. All of the tea items are handmade. They do speak English. For reservations in English call: 010-6853-9080
Sensibloom: After our hike, we had a reservation for Afternoon Tea at a tiny little cafe that makes all their items by hand. A completely delightful experience. They even speak English. The tea is one of the best prices in Korea at 24,000 won.
We made the reservation on the phone and paid by bank transfer (you need a Korean bank account for this). Since this is the more affordable tea option, it doesn’t melt your brain in wonder. Sensibloom provides the perfect afternoon with friends, eating tasty morsels, sipping tea, and sharing stories. We were very, very happy with the relaxing peaceful atmosphere and the cheesecake was fire. Memories were made.
Family Love Bikes
0319241881
Copy and paste phone numbers into Naver Maps to get directions
Hangul Address
경기 고양시 일산동구 호수로 688
Rent tandem bikes to ride around the beautiful lake park. They also have bikes with kid trailers and single bikes.
Family Love Bikes: Next we hopped in our car and went to a local lake park and rented tandem bikes. Family Love Bikes had tandem options, bikes with baby trailers, kids bikes, etc. We paid 10,000 won for about 2hrs on our tandem bikes.
Ilsan Lake Park
Hangul Address
경기 고양시 일산동구 호수로 731
Stunning lake park with walking and biking paths. Many things to do all around the lake. Parking: Plenty of affordable parking lots around the lake
Ilsan Lake Park: This park has everything. There is a cactus exhibit, garden center, aquarium, water park, snow park, trails, Instagram spots, a mall with tons of restaurants, a reunification museum, etc. It’s hard to imagine a better destination with so many things all in one spot. We were there just to be with friends so we rode our bikes around and goofed off. We will do a whole other blog about the things to do at the lake so look for that coming soon.
Barn110
0507-1408-1968
Copy and paste phone numbers into Naver Maps to get directions
Hangul Address
경기 고양시 일산동구 율천로7번길 7-7
A Japanese fusion restaurant. For those that might be new to Japanese fusion that means unique pastas, curries, and taco rice.
Barn11O: After we rode bikes for a few hours we were hungry again. We drove back to where we had tea and ate at a nearby restaurant called Barn110. We chose the restaurant because of the great photos and the menu that confused us. Since our friends are from many parts of the world, we often choose a spot with a unique menu and then discuss where we think the influences are from.
When our food arrived we realized it was Japanese fusion and super delicious. The giant shrimp linguini and taco rice were our two favorite dishes. (Taco rice is a dish from Okinawa.) If you hate food that breaks the rules don’t eat here. If you love spicy food and culinary creativity, definitely go here.
After we finished dinner we all headed home. Totally exhausted from our hiking, biking, and eating. It was an absolutely perfect day. You can find all of these places in the South of Seoul app available
Now that I’ve been to Goyang, I am absolutely going back again and again. The traffic to Goyang works in my favor because I’m coming from Pyeongtaek and going against the Saturday commute. We can easily travel back and forth from this area without getting stuck in traffic on a Saturday so it goes to the top of our list.
Additionally, Goyang is super chill but has lots to do. We don’t have to fight crowds. There are lots of excellent places to eat and things to do. The food is delicious. Cute cafes everywhere. What more could we possibly want? Let us know if you tried this Goyang, Paju Saturday Itinerary! Leave your thoughts in the comments.
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Lanae Rivers-Woods moved to Korea in 2011 where she lives in the countryside with her family, friends, and puppies. She holds a BSSW (Bachelor’s of Science in Social Work), a MAIT (Master’s of Arts in International Teaching), and registered by the Pyeongtaek Korean Times with the Korean government as a Cultural Expert.
Ms. Rivers-Woods used her 15 years experience as a social architect, UX/UI designer, and technology consultant to found South of Seoul in 2015. South of Seoul is a volunteer organization that leverages technological tools to mitigate cultural dissonance in multi-cultural communities.
Through South of Seoul, Ms. Rivers-Woods works with independent volunteers, non-profit organizations, businesses, local & federal government, universities, and US military organizations to develop solutions to support English speaking international residents in rural South Korea.
Additionally, Ms. Rivers-Woods founded the South of Seoul smart phone app available for Google Play and iPhone. The app provides information a resources for those living and traveling in South Korea.
When she isn’t in South of Seoul development meetings or working her day job, Ms. Rivers-Woods loves to be outside at skate parks, the beach, or playing in the mountains.
